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http://www.aarweb.org/About_AAR/Centennial/Default.asp
Centennial Celebration
Join us in celebrating the American Academy of Religion's 100th anniversary:
The American Academy of Religion Celebrates its Centennial
In 1909, Professor Ismar J. Peritz of Syracuse University conceived the idea of forming a new organization for professors and scholars of Biblical Studies. Its purpose was to stimulate scholarship and teaching in religion. During that year, Professor Peritz along with three colleagues — Irving Wood of Smith College, Raymond C. Knox of Columbia University, and Olive Dutcher of Mount Holyoke College — founded the Association of Biblical Instructors in American Colleges and Secondary Schools, which held its first program in 1910.
The group continued to meet under the original name until December of 1922 when members voted to change the name to the National Association of Biblical Instructors, and thereby acquired the acronym NABI ("prophet" in Hebrew). In 1933, the Journal of the NABI was launched and published twice a year until 1937 when the name was changed to the Journal of Bible and Religion, a quarterly periodical.
By 1963, the association, sparked by dramatic changes in the study of religion, was ready for another transformation. Upon the recommendation of a Self-Study Committee, NABI became the American Academy of Religion. Two years later, the name of the journal was changed to the Journal of the American Academy of Religion.
Today, the Academy's executive offices are located in the Luce Center on the campus of Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. AAR provides a major publishing program, grants and awards, professional services, an annual North American meeting and ten regional meetings through which it serves its members and the advancement of the field.
From a base of four founding members in 1909, the AAR’s membership has grown to more than 10,000. Our members are largely faculty and graduate students at colleges, universities, and divinity schools in North America, with a growing percentage located at institutions of higher education in Asia, Africa, and Europe.
Beginning with our 2009 Annual Meeting in Montréal, and continuing through our 2010 Annual Meeting in Atlanta, the AAR is sponsoring a series of special events and programs to celebrate our Centennial.
Centennial Advisory Committee
The AAR would like to give special thanks to our Centennial Advisory Committee members:
Peter Paris, Chair, Princeton Theological Seminary
Rita Nakashima Brock, Faith Voices for the Common Good
Rebecca Chopp, Swathmore College
Miguel De La Torre, Iliff School of Theology
Stacey Floyd-Thomas, Vanderbilt University
Warren Frisina, Hofstra University
Amir Hussain, Loyola Marymount University
Pamela Klassen, University of Toronto
Davina Lopez, Eckerd College
Linda Moody, Mount St. Mary’s College
Mark Silk, Trinity College
Joseph Winters, Princeton University
Glenn Yocum, Whittier College
Centennial Sponsors
The AAR would like to thank its 2009 Centennial Sponsors:
Platinum Level Sponsor
Gold Level Sponsor
